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April 18, 2012

Honey Oat Beer Bread

Living in an out-of-the-way neighborhood to friends and not having a car has curtailed a lot of money spent on sodas and alcohol. I'm not entertaining that much and if I want it, I have to carry it blocks or it has to fit in my bike basket (as adorable as it sounds). So the other day when I had a craving for beer, I had to have a recipe to justify my purchase or else the six pack would sit in the fridge for weeks and take up valuable food space. Luckily, I love beer bread and it goes perfectly with the rest of the six pack!

Most beer breads have a base of 3 cups of flour, 1 bottle (12 oz) of beer, baking powder, and flavorings. I used a lager, replaced some of the flour with quick cooking oats, and sweetened the dough with a little honey. In order to get a crispy crust, the loaf pan is lined with melted butter and then the loaf is brushed with a little more melted butter.

The oats and honey pair so well with the beer and the dough comes together in minutes, no yeast required! Perfect little quick bread and a great excuse for me to actually buy beer . . .

Honey Oat Beer Bread

2 1/2 cups AP flour

1/2 cup of quick cooking oats, ground if you like

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 oz beer (I used lager), room temperature

3 tablespoons honey

6 tablespoons melted butter, divided

First, preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix up the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt.

Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the beer. When the dough is coming together, add the honey.

Melt the butter in the microwave, about 45 seconds on high. Add 4 tablespoons to the bottom of the pan, being sure to coat all surfaces before adding the beer dough.

Top with the remaining two tablespoons of melted butter. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.